1 . Roller coasters are fast and exciting. But passing a painful kidney (肾) stones is not. The process is painful and can take a long time. But American researchers have found that a roller coaster ride just might help those suffering from a kidney stone. They say such rides help patients pass the stones with a 70 percent success rate.

David Wartinger led the study. He found that where the person sits on the roller coaster can make a big difference. He said, “In the pilot study, sitting in the last car of the roller coaster showed about a 64 percent passage rate. Sitting in the first few cars only had a 16 percent success rate.”

It also mattered where the stones were located in the kidney. The researchers found that stones located in the upper part of the kidney model were passed 100 percent.

When it comes to passing kidney stones, not all roller coasters are equal. The researchers used 174 kidney stones of differing shapes, sizes and weights to see if each model worked on the same ride and on two other roller coasters. They found that Big Thunder Mountain was the only one that worked. The other two roller coasters both failed the test. Wartinger said the other rides were too fast and too violent. The movement forced the stones against the side of the kidney. He said that the ideal roller coaster is rough and quick with some twists and turns.

Wartinger thinks roller coaster rides could also be used as a preventative measure. He said that a yearly ride on a roller coaster could even prevent stones from developing. “You need to heed the warnings before going on a roller coaster,” he said. “If you have a kidney stone, but are otherwise healthy and meet the requirements of the ride, patients should try it.”

He adds that it’s definitely a lower cost alternative to other treatments. And riding a roller coaster is definitely more fun!

1. According to the text, passing kidney stone is ______.

A．fast	B．exciting
C．interesting	D．painful

2. Which of the following benefits people with a kidney stone most?

A．Sitting in the first car of a roller coaster.

B．Sitting in the middle car of a roller coaster.

C．Sitting in big roller coasters with doctors’ care.

D．Sitting in rough and fast roller coasters with twists and turns.

3. What’s Wartinger’s attitude to riding roller coasters for people having a kidney stone?

A．Worried.	B．Negative.
C．Supportive.	D．Skeptical.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Some treatments of kidney stones

B．Advantages of riding roller coasters

C．Roller coasters can help pass kidney stones

D．Kidney stones can be cured by riding roller coasters

2 . It’s cold and dark outside, and your bed is so warm and comfortable. Going for a run seems like such a bad idea. But before you hide your running shoes, it might be worth giving that crazy idea a go.

According to The Huffington Post, an outdoor run in winter, as opposed to one on a treadmill (跑步机), burns more calories because the body is working hard to regulate (调节) its core temperature. Furthermore, research shows that race times are faster in cold weather than in warmer temperatures—and quicker runs burn more calories. Similarly, cold weather also makes the heart work harder to distribute blood through the body, making that vital muscle even stronger.

Outdoor exercise also turns up your energy and rids you of the stress and depression that build up every day. The heat and humidity in the summer can drag you down and tire you faster, but cold weather is refreshing. It adjusts you to your surroundings, making you feel alive.

Of course, the threat of smog in some built-up areas is a further hurdle to winter exercise. Heart attacks, stroke, lung cancer and asthma are all dangers of running in smog. The combination of air pollution and exercise increases the potential problems. If you do choose to run outside on smoggy days, take a path in a park or residential area to avoid car exhaust (尾气), and go early in the morning, before rush hour. But staying inside on smoggy days and waiting for the next clear day to run is best.

1. How does cold weather benefit runners, compared with warm weather?

A．They can run more slowly.

B．They can take in more calories.

C．Their hearts can function harder.

D．Their body temperature can get lower.

2. How does summer affect runners?

A．It builds up their energy quickly.	B．It makes runners tired easily.
C．It lessens runners’ stress.	D．It causes heart attack.

3. What are the runners supposed to do on smoggy days?

A．Stop driving cars.	B．Do more exercise.
C．Avoid outdoor exercise.	D．Run late in the morning.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．Refresh with a Winter Run	B．Take Outdoor Exercise in Summer
C．Go to Run in a Park	D．Follow the Tips to Reduce Stress